Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for a meeting with senior ministers this evening to review the state of the power, petroleum and fertilizer sectors. This comes amid fallout on the energy sector from the US-Israel war against Iran, PTI said citing sources.
Prime Minister Modi will chair the meeting later on Sunday (March 22), they said.
Agenda: What is expected to be discussed?
According to the report, the high-level meeting will focus on discussions on ensuring stable energy supply and import, stable logistics plan and efficient distribution across the country. Sources added that the center is “taking proactive steps towards this end”.
“Continuous monitoring of global developments to protect the interests of consumers and industry is the government’s main objective,” they added.
How has the center responded to the impact of the war in West Asia so far?
On 12 March, Prime Minister Modi noted that the war in West Asia had created a global energy crisis. He added that this represents a critical test of the national character, which requires resolving the circumstances with peace, patience and increased public awareness.
The Prime Minister further emphasized that the Center is working tirelessly to resolve the disruptions that have occurred in international supply chains. “Continuous efforts are also on to see how we can overcome the disruptions that have occurred in the supply chain,” Modi said.
The prime minister has spoken to many global leaders since the war began on February 28, after the US and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran over its alleged nuclear capabilities. Iran has since retaliated by attacking Israel and several of its Gulf neighbors for being allies of Washington and Tel Aviv.
Why is India feeling the heat from the Middle East situation?
The situation in West Asia has raised concerns in India, which relies heavily on the Middle East for its energy needs. A reduced supply from one of its largest suppliers could affect availability and prices in the domestic market.
Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, which carries 20% of the world’s fuel supplies (85-90% of India’s LPG imports from West Asia, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar), and has allowed very few ships through since the start of the war.
Since the conflict, Modi has held phone conversations with leaders from Bahrain, France, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to the report.
- Iran attacked two communities near Israel’s main nuclear research center late Saturday, causing extensive damage to buildings and leaving at least seven people seriously injured. The attack came just hours after Iran’s primary nuclear enrichment facility at Natanz was hit as the conflict escalated sharply at the start of its fourth week.
- The Strait of Hormuz remains open to all shipping except vessels linked to “enemies of Iran”, Iran’s representative to the UN maritime agency said on Sunday, after US President Donald Trump threatened to attack Iran’s power plants if the waterway was not “fully opened” within 48 hours.
- “It’s a very difficult evening,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, adding that additional emergency resources had been sent to the scene. “The war is not coming to an end,” Israeli army chief General Eyal Zamir said earlier in the day, as reported by the AP.
(With inputs from PTI, agencies)
